Hypoxia Due to Anesthesia Error Lawyer
The brain requires oxygen to survive. It only takes a few minutes without oxygen for brain cells to die and injury to occur. Complete deprivation of oxygen to the brain is called hypoxia, which can cause serious brain injury and death. Under anesthesia, hypoxia can occur when anesthesia errors result in lack of oxygen for the patient.
When a patient is under anesthesia, they are depending on the anesthesiologist and medical team to monitor their breathing, heart and oxygen levels for their safety. Under general anesthesia, a patient may need to have a respirator or oxygenation to ensure they are receiving enough oxygen to supply their body. If this is not monitored correctly or improper intubation occurs, the patient’s brain may be denied oxygen, leading to hypoxia.
Brain Injury from Hypoxia
If an anesthesia mistake results in hypoxia, the patient can suffer serious brain injury. After five minutes without oxygen, the brain cells can begin to die. Some of the long-term injuries that can affect the patient from hypoxia include:
- Spasticity
- Coordination and balance issues
- Memory loss
- Speech impairments
- Vision impairments
- Cognitive impairments
- Death
The frustration of hypoxia that occurs during anesthesia is that it is usually preventable. Errors in judgement and monitoring the patient can allow the brain to be deprived of the oxygen it needs, leading to both temporary and permanent brain damage. Even if the patient does recover functions lost due to hypoxia, it can take months and years of rehabilitation. This can result in major medical expenses, impacts to income and loss of quality of life.
If your family has been impacted by hypoxia caused by an anesthesia error, contact us at Moriarty Injury Lawyer today. We will be happy to discuss your case and help you determine whether to pursue compensation.